Titanium
by AplaceOfEndlessWonder
Summary: She was the loser and he was the one no one messed with and everyone loved. Some how they were perfect for each other. He looked out for her and she looked out for him. What will happen when their trust is broken and their faith in each other is wavering? Will he be able to help her make the right choices or leave her like everyone else did? Mostly AU Steve/Claudia! Please R
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hello, everyone. Here is my new story, that I typed up randomly to day. It is AU for the most part. Steve and Claudia are still in high school and Pete and Myka are not working at the warehouse yet. Joshua is still in the bubble thing. It is set in 2004 for so Claudia (14)is a freshman and Steve (18)is a senior. I hope you like it. Please Review. **_

"Hey look, Angel, it is the freak show!" Chrissy said as she came over slapped my books out of my hands and kicked them into the middle of the hallway. It was the same thing very day. "Look at todays streak, it is purple. The purple does not go with your red hair. Plus you hair is way to long and gross." Angles said with disgust as she pulled the long color streak that was clipped in my hair. I never really cared about what Chrissy or Angle had to say. But it still did not mean that I made me feel like crap. In truth of it all I thought my hair was fraking awesome and Angle and Chrissy had 'gross' hair. Their hair was the same cut. It was about shoulder length and blonde."You are such a loser, don't you think so John?"Chrissy called over to John. Just when I thought it could not get worst, it does. John walked over. His eyes ran over my body making me feel weak. I had to look up to see his eyes. He stood about seven inches above me. John was the basketball star of school and was dating Chrissy and Angel (it was complicated).

"I got to go to class." I told them as I tried to push passed John. I got about two feet from my locker before he grabbed my shoulder and shoved me back into the locker. I heard my shoulder pop out of place, and then felt extreme pain shoot though my arm. "We are not done with you." John whispered in my ear. He sounded just like my foster dad, the person who made me fear everything and everyone. "Hey, leave her alone." I looked to the right and saw my best friend standing there. He was a senior and I was a freshman. John looked over at him and sighed. He knew that he was a stupid idea to mess with Steve. John shoved me into my locker once more and then grabbed Angel's hand and walked off.

"What did you do to piss them off this time?" Steve asked as he helped me get my books off the floor. I laughed at his question. Everyone here hates me but Steve. "Oh, you know. I had purple in my hair." I said jokingly to him. Steve handed me my books. I winced in pain as I tried to grab the books. " I think John popped my shoulder out of place." I explained as Steve had my stepped aside and put my books in my locker. The homeroom bell rang just as Steve started to say something. Within minutes the hallways was almost completely empty. The pain in my shoulder increased as time went on. "Claude, I think you should go to the nurse." Steve said to me. He know that I could not do that. They might find the damage from what my foster dad has done. And that would be very bad. "You know I can't." I told Steve. This was not the first time I popped my shoulder out of place. It has happened about half a dozen times. I knew how to pop it back into place. I pulled my arm over my head and bent in at the elbow and placed my hand on my elbow. Slowly I pulled my elbow down. The was a small pop and the pain in my shoulder become less intense. I looked over at Steve, his eyes were closed and he shudders at the sound. "I hate when you do that." He said as he grimaced. I chuckled as I reopened my locker, only to have it shut by Steve. "Hey, Mr. poopy pants, I need my books for class." Told him as I tried to move his hand of the edge of the locker. Steve quickly opened the bottom locker and grabbed my coat and bag, while I stood there confused.

"No, you don't." Steve said as he grabbed my hand and lead my through the senior hallway. I hand no clue what he was doing or planing. "Steve, were are we going." I asked as he dropped my hand and turned down the junior high hallway. I followed after him. "Steve," I hissed at him "The first hour bell is about ring." Steve to another right turn and stopped. I sighed and ran after him. Steve was standing by the back door of the school. I knew what he was planning on doing, now. "Come on." Steve said as he opened the door and let me walk out first. "I can not believe that we are going to skip school." I whispered to him as she shut the door quietly. Steve was not the kind of person to just skip school. Steve and I quickly walked behind the school and into the student parking lot. Steve had parked his car in the last row. I ran to the passenger side of the car and waited for Steve to unlock the car. Steve unlocked the car and opened the back door and tossed my things into the back. I opened my door and climbed and. Steve did the same. Steve buckled up and started the car, while I reach back and grabbed my cell phone and mp3 player. While Steve backed up, I hooked up my mp3 player to the car stereo and turned and the new play list I made last night. Steve pulled on to the highway. "So were are we going?" I asked Steve after a few minutes of driving. This was the third time this year that we have skipped school. " We are going to the mall and then to the arcade." Steve said. "Seriously the mall and the arcade, that is so cliché." I laughed at his idea. That is what everyone does, even in the movies.

"Well do you have a better idea?" Steve asked me. The car slowed as we come upon a stop light. "No." I admitted to him. " The the mall we will go." I rarely went to the mall, so I guess it was not that bad. It was better then being stuck at school. I could not help but think about what if my foster dad found out about this. He was a mall cop and he worked today. "Steve, we have to be careful, my foster dad is working today." Steve was the only person who knew what my loser of a fake dad has done to me. Steve nodded his head and turned into the mall parking lot. The parking lot was almost completely full, which was not surprising, since this was New Jersey. Steve pulled in a parking space and turned off the car. I unplugged my mp3 play and put it in the glove box. I reached in to the back seat of the car and grabbed a pony tail out of my bag and my coat. I opened my door and jumped out of the car. Steve locked the car and walked up beside me. Steve was about two feet taller the me. I was about to his shoulders. Steve has always given' me crap about bring short.

"So is there any real reason for skipping school today?" I asked Steve as we headed to the front of the mall. "No not really, other then I wanted to do something fun, plus it is nice day." He said to me. I nodded my head. He was right it is a very lovely day.

"Claudia Donovan!" I turned around and saw a short fat man, who looked older then the Earth it self. I know him and I hated that man with my life. He was the man you took my brother away from me. Steve came up beside me and whispered in my ear, "Who is that?"

"Artie Nelson."


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you want?"I ask Artie as he walked closer to Steve and me. It has been about seven years since I last saw him. The day was mostly a blur now, but the pain was as strong as ever, maybe even stronger. The day that I met Artie was the day I lost my brother. My brother Joshua was all I had left after our parents died three years before. I can barely remember any of them. I was only five when my mom and dad were killed in a car wreck. I can not even tell you what they were like. Joshua had told me many stories about them. "I am here on business. I did not even know that you lived here."Artie said calmly. "I have lived here for about two years now." I told him. I hated this small talk. I want him to say goodbye and get out of my life for good. " But, I doubt that you even cared. Since you just left me alone. I was so scared I had no clue what the hell happened and you just left me at some place full of strange people." I shouted at him. I lost it, I could not control my-self. This was the man that ruined my life. "Claudia I am sorry, I could not have taken you with me and there was no other place for you to go. You brother was killed, your parents were gone. You had no other family." Artie explained to me as Steve stepped a little bit in front of me.

"Claude, lets go."Steve whispered in my ear. He grabbed my hand and pulled me past Artie. I looked over my shoulder and saw Artie mouth 'I am sorry'. I turned my head back around and pulled my hand out of Steve's grip. Steve pulled open the mall door and let me walk in. The mall was very crowded. There were kids running to catch up with their mom. The stores were all light and customers were flowing in and out of them. The mall had skylights and was very loud. There were kiosks every where, selling things from phone cases to hair curlers. I kept a close eye out for my dad. He was usually in the south end of the mall but sometime he was at the west end. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here. Is it really worth the the risk."So where to first?" Steve asked as we looked at all the different places. I knew that Steve was never going to ask about my past. He always told me that the past stays in the past. "To the music." I grabbed Steve's hand and ran to my favorite part of the store. Music is my passion, my escape. I learned how to play guitar when I was at my third foster home. There were kind but druggies, so was my teacher but he was a great person. When I came to music I liked just about everything.

Once we got to the store, I went to the new music section and listened to some new songs that I haven't heard yet. After I had enough of that I went to the 90's music. "Steve come here." I yelled across the store at him. "You have to here this song."

We spent about an hour in the music store, till my foster dad showed up. I was the first to see him. I ran over to where Steve was standing and pulled him behind one of the CD racks. "What the hell?" Steve asked me. "It's James." My voice slightly wavering. Steve leaned around the stand and quickly came back around. This was not the first time that we were in this situation but last time I ended up grounded and I had a broken arm. And to make things worst I was not allowed to hang or be near Steve for like three months. " What do we do? We need to distract him." Steve told me as I looked to see where he was standing. I had an idea but Steve was not going to like it. I looked back at Steve. " I got idea, but,"

"No! We are not doing one of your ideas again." Steve whispered loudly. I saw that coming. He might not agree now, but he always gave in. "Steve, all you have to do go up to him and make some small talk, while I ran to the car. I can then call you phone when I make it out" Steve was glaring at me. This was the same plan we used last time and all the other times before, but it has to work sometime. Steve sighed," I have no clue why I do this for you but, get ready to run and this time try and not trip.


	3. Chapter 3

"On the count of three you go." I told Steve. James was still standing outside the store. It was almost like he knew I was in here and he was waiting for me to come out. Steve nodded his head. "One, Two," I counted slowly. " Three." I pushed Steve out from behind the shelve. He looked back and glared at me. Steve slowly walked over to James, who looked very upset that Steve was even talking to him. I waited a few minutes before I slowly made my way out of the store. I kept a close eye on James.

Once out of the Store, I made a quick right turn. "Claudia!" I could hear James yell. My heart began to race. _Should I ran, or should I face him? _I though as I turned around and saw James walked toward me, with Steve right in front of him. Steve mouthed sorry to me. "What the hell are you guys doing here again? I though I told you once that you were band from here!" James practically yelled at me.

"Sorry, it won't happen again." I said as I looked him in the face. James was about ten inches taller them me and weighed three times as much as me.

"Good now. Go home and wait till I get there." James said as he walked off.

I sighed. "Lets go." I said to Steve. He nodded his head and I walked off. Slowly I made my way to the car, not really wanting to go there. I knew that once I was in the car with Steve, we was going to go on and on about how he was not letting me go back to make house. I knew he wanted to protect me from James, but there was something that just had to happen. And me going back to the worst place on earth was one of them.

We got to the car and the Artie was sitting in the front passenger seat. "What the hell?" I yelled as I opened the door. " Will you just leave me alone. Why do you care about helping me now. Cause you did not care seven years ago, when you left me in some strange place." I told him angrily. Steve had walked around the car and was sitting in the driver seat. "Get out of the car."

"Claudia, I know you are mad at me, but.."

"I do not care what you have to say. Get out of my life, and out of the car!" I yelled at him.

Artie sighed and got of the car. "If you want to talk, here's my number." He handed me a card and walked off. I waited a few seconds and got into the car. I shut the door and buckled up. Steve started the car and drove out of the mall parking lot. It was only noon. We could go back to school for the afternoon classes but neither of us wanted to.

"Claude, how about you come and stay at me house for the night." Steve said after a while. I would love to go to his house. I have only been about thee times. Those three times were the best. His mom and sister were so kind. If I could have a family, I would want one like Steve's. It was perfect.

"Steve, I would love to say yes, but you know I can't." I told him. "James would kill me, literally." There was this one time when I went for a walk and did not tell James. When I came back he throw a glass beer bottle at me. He was ballistic. I still have to scars on my legs from where the bottle glass was embedded into my skin.

"You need to leave that place. I hate you being there." Steve said angrily.

"I know. But there is nothing that we can do." I told him. We both knew that I was wrong, but sometimes it was easier to believe that something can not be fixed. Nothing was going to fix the fact that I Have no living family. Nothing will fix the fact that every foster home I am placed in, I have either been forgotten about or abused.

"That is B.S. Claude, and you know it. There is a lot you can do about it." Steve answered back. " You need to tell some besides me or I will."

"If I tell someone, then they will tell the social service. Then I would have to move to some place else and we would no long be able to see each other." I explained to him. "Can you please just let it go?" I asked him.

_**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had writers block for this. I hope you can forgive and would review. Please tell me if I have mistakes. I wrote it at one in the morning. I read over it like ten times but I still could have missed something so sorry. **_


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